Loose-leaf binder



`Pune 3 1924.

G. L. SAMSON LOOSE LEAF BINDER 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed April 1l 1923 2 Sbs-:ets-Sheet 2 lwoo/WIM GaZusa L. 5&7/250@ June 3 1924.

G. L.. SAMSON Loosf: LEAF BINDER Filed April l1 Patented June 3, i924.,

GALUSHA L. SAMSON, OF HONOLULU, TERRITORY OF HAWAII.

LOOSE-LEAF BINDER.

Application filed April 11, 1823.

T 0 all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, GALUsHA L. SAMSON, a citizen of the United Stat-es, and resident of Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii, have invented cert-ain new and useful Improvements in Loose-Leaf Binders; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to loose-leaf binders, and more particularly to binders of that class provided with clamping members equipped with flexible connections, the primary object of this invention being the provision of a simple and durable means for varying the capacity of the binder, as will hereinafter appear.` Y

A further object of the invention is the production of a `binder such as described, which will be eflioient in operation, and present a neat and attractive appearance. y

Other objects of the invention will be made apparent in the following specifica- "tion, and the drawings forming a part thereof.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which show the preferred embodiment.

In said drawings,

Fig. l is a Y plan view of the binder equipped with my invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary end view of thebinder, with the end housing removed. to. show the connector mechanism. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. l,"with the leaves removed.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged VVdetail of the closed end of the binder, showing thev chains in dotted lines and the ratchet mechanism for.

operating the latter.

F ig.v 5 is an. enlarged sectional det-ail, showing means for operating the chains.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the operating chains, f

Fig. 7 is asection-taken through line Y-T fof Fig. 6, and,

Fig. 8 is ank enlarged detail of the chain pintle.

Now referring specically to the drawing, Y

A and A rep-resent the clamping members .of a 4loose leaf binder, such as a current ledger or transfer binder, B represents the loose leaves to be clamped between the memstood.

Serial No. 631,393.

bers A and A, and Cy and C are the outside covers for said leaves.

In the embodiment illustrated DD represent the liexible binding posts which extend throughout apertures provided in the leaves B, andwhich bind said leaves together, each of said binding posts being hereinafter called a chain.

, In the herein illustrated construction, each of the clamping members A and A are of hollow or tubular formation, composed of rigid material, such as sheet metal.- VThe covers C and C may be of stiff boards, such as are usually used for ledger covers, and

are hingedly connected at l to the members A and A.

As before stated, the chains D are extended through apertures in the leaves, and

are then wound up to draw the clamping member A down toward the membe A, and tightly upon the rear end of said leaves, for the purpose of holding them immovably in position. The chains arev mounted on a roller 2, being secured thereto by means of a rivet or bolt, which extends through a fiattened extension 3 of the end link of the chain, and into the roller 2, as clearly indicated in Figure 3. The-other end of the chain extends downwardly, in the view shown in Fig. 3, and is provided with flared ends 4, extending through an aperture formed in the upper wall of the member A', where said ends are riveted or otherwise secured to the said wall. The roller 2 is suitably mounted, at each end, Vfor rotation in the member A', and is provided with a squared end-5, projecting` from the body thereof, Va circular socket 6, surrounding the end 5, permitting the insertion of a key 7, into the socket and around the end 5, whereby the roller 2 may be rotated, as will be under- The chains Dare tensioned by the hey as described, and are prevented from becoming relaxed by means of a ball ratchet mechanism. "The end 8 of the roller 2 is circular, and is provided with ratchet teeth, as shown in Fig. 4; @A ringk l0 surrounds the end 8,

and a ball 1l, controlled by spring l2 and held in slot 12, is normally pressed in posi-` tion to engage the ratchet teeth and prevent rotation of said shaftV to the left, while rotation to the right, to wind up the chain D, 'is freely permitted. For the purpose of permitting the roller to turn to the left, I provide a linger 13, securedto the end 5, and extending into a narrow slot orme'd in the end 8. rlhe end of the ringer 13 normally contacts the ball 11, and, when the roller is rotated to the lei't by the key. 7, the linger 13 will push the ball 11 backwardly against the spring 12, so as to clear the ratchet teeth and permit such rotation, as will be clearly understood. Immediately upon the releaseV of the pressure to thel lett upon the `key 7, the ball 11is freedand returns to its normal position.

As shown in Figs. 6 and7, the chains D are composed of interiitting links 14e, provided with longitudinally channeled 'tront extensions 15, and, at the rear endiwith separated, similarly channeled rear extensions 16. The extensions on the front and rear of the links 14 are adapted for coniplementary interiitting engagement'with the extensionson the succeeding links, as will be understood, and al pintle 17 is adapted to extend* through the channels formed in the extensions,- andy connects the links each to each, as will be understood. Each piiitle 17 is composed of a body or' strong metal having inherentresiliency. lt is provided with a iianged head 1S, and the body is split longitudinally through the head and to a point justl short of the rear end` 19, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8. The upper portion ot the body is cut alway, and tapers upwardly from the reary end 19, to form aspring member 20, and a. shoulder 19 and, in the forward portion of saidmember is a socket 21 adapted to receive a st-ud or pinQZ, extending into the channel formed inthe rear extension 16 of the chain links. For the purpose oit' adding orA removing leaves, it is obvious that the chains may be separated by pressing the top portion of the head 1S ot the pintle, to i'iex the spring member 2O sutiiciently to permit the socket 21 to clear the pin 22. The pintle 17 isthen pulled outwardly until the shoulder. 19 contacts the pin 2Q., at which time, however, the extensions 15 and 16 have become disconnected, as willbe understood. The contact between the shoulders 19 and the pin 22 retains the pint-le in position so that, when the necessary leaves have been added or removed, it may simply be pushedinwardly to reconnect the links, and the pin 22 and the socket 21 snap into intertitting and interlocking engagement. A suitable implement may be providedy tor connection tothe head 18, to depressthe spring portion 20.

In order to impart` a finished appearance to the book'equipp'ed with my invention` I provide' a. band 230i. flexible leather or the. like. As before stated, the clamping meinber. A is preferably formed of sheet metal..

In this embodiment lof the` invention I have here shown the top portion 24 of said niem- A ber! bent'` downwardly and. inwardly and provided with a flange 25 immediately above the bottom 26 oit the member A. The top end of the band 23 is inserted between the Flange 2-1 and the bottom 25, and secured in position by means of rivets or bolts. In the lower clamping member A is mounted a roller 27, on which is secured the other end or' the band 23, an elongated slot 2S being provided in the rear end of the member A', in which the band 23 may slide during the winding and unwinding operations.

Iti is manifest that the length of the exposed portion oi the band QS will increase or decrease as the leaves B are added or removed. ratchet mechanism similar to that described in connection with the roller 2, the key 7 preferably iitting the stem 5 ot both rollers, the difference being that the roller 9.7 is Afree-- ly windable to the leit insteadV oit to the right, as in the case of the roller 2..

It is believed that the operation of the binder will be clearly understood without any further detailed description thereof. I have produced in the chain D a flexible binding post which may be disconnectediior the` addition or abstraction of leaves, at' prac.- tically any point in its length, an advantagewhich will be clearly apparent.

I have also provide-d mea-ns 'for quickly and easily ope-rating the permanent members and for properly adjusting ythe backing band 23, as will be manifest.

Vario-us modifications of this invention may be suggested to those skilled in the art. but the invention covers all such niodilications as are comprehended in the appended claims.

I claim- 1. A loose leaf binder provided with two tubular members adapted to clamp the leaves therebetween, a substantially flat chain, provided with detachable links, wound upon a roller in one member and extending through the leaves andrigidly secured to the other member, andmeans for rotating said roller to clamp or. release said leaves, substantially as described.v

Q. A loose leaf binder provided with upper and lower members provided with flat' facesadapted to clamp the leavesv therebetween, a substantially dat chain composed of detachable links, wound upon a roller in one member and extending through' said leaves and secured' to the other' member, in'

combination with Ia flexible cover strip mountedy on a rollerfin the other member, and extending through a slot .therein and securedY to ther i'laty clamping face of said first-named member, and means for rotatingsaid. rollers. to vary the length of the chainand of said strip. Y

S'A loose leaf binder provided with upper and lower tubular metallic members providedv with -rlat faces adapted'to clampV llt) the leaves therebetween, a substantially flat' chain composed of detachable links, wound upon a roller in one member, and extending through the leaves and secured to the clamping face of the other member, in combination with a flexible end-cover strip mounted on a roller in the other member and extending through an elongated slot therein and clamped between a ange and the said clamping face of the first-named member, and means for rotating said rollers to vary the length of the said chain and said strip.

4. A loose leaf binder provided with two members provided with flat faces adapted to clamp the leaves therebetween, and with a flexible binding post, in combination with a flexible end cover strip mounted on a roller in one member and extending through an elongated slot therein and secured tothe flat clamping face of the other member, substantially as described.

5. A loose leaf binder provided with two members having opposed flat faces adapted to clamp the leaves therebetween, a flexible binding post mounted on a. roller in one member and secured to the fiat face of the other member, an elongated slot in the other member, adjacent and extending longitudinally of the clamping face thereof, a roller carried by said other member, and a flex* ible end-cover strip mounted upon said roller and extending through said slot and secured to the flat clamping face of the said first-named member, substantially as described.

6'. A loose leaf binden comprising two clamping members, one of which carries a roller, a flexible, substantially flat chain adapted to extend through the leaves to be bound, and rigidly secured at one end to one of the clampingY members, and connected at the other end to said roller, said chain being formed of complementary links connected by pintles, means releasably preventing longitudinal movement of the pintles relative to the links, and cooperative means carried by the links and pintles preventing separation o-f the latter Ifrom the links, substantially as described.

7. A loose leaf binder comprising two tubular clamping members, each provided with a roller, a flexible chain wound upon the roller onl one member and extending through an aperture in the clamping face thereof and through the leaves to be bound, and rigidly secured to the clamping face of the other member, and a flexible cover strip mounted on the roller of the other clamping member and extending through a slot therein and parallel to the said chain, and rigidly connected to the other clamping member substantially as described.

8. A loose-leaf binder .comprising two tubular clamping members, each provided with a roller, a flexible chain wound around the rolle-r. on one member and extending through an aperture in the clamping face thereof, and through the leaves to be bound, and rigidly secured to the clamping face of the other member, a flexible cover strip mounted on the roller of the other member and extending through a slot therein and parallel to the said chain and rigidly connected to the clamping Iface of the other member, and means connected to each roller whereby it may be freely rotated in one direction, but prevented from rotationV in an opposite direction, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

GALUSHA L. SAMSON. 

